Ben Stokes probably won’t be playing in the first few matches of the County Championship. His coach at Durham, Ryan Campbell, shared this news on Monday. Stokes, who is 33 years old and the Test captain for England, is still on the mend after having hamstring surgery. He hurt himself during a game in New Zealand last December, making it his second hamstring issue in just five months. Right now, he’s not fit enough to play in the four-day domestic matches that kick off on Friday.
England has a series against Zimbabwe lined up for May, and soon after that, they’ll face India in five Tests. That’s not all, though; later this year, they’re off to Australia for a five-match Ashes series. Durham has a total of six matches in the County Championship before the Zimbabwe Test.
Campbell also mentioned that he won’t have England bowlers Brydon Carse, who has a toe injury, and Mark Wood, who is dealing with a knee problem. He stressed that there will be no risks taken with these players’ health. Looking at Carse, Stokes, and Wood, at this point, it’s unlikely any of them will be playing for us. If we get anything extra, that’ll just be a nice surprise, he said. They’re all coming back from pretty tough injuries, and the reality is they need to be fit before the Test matches begin.
What Campbell did make clear is that Stokes is dedicated. Stokesy is in here nearly every day, giving it his all. He had surgery and was back lifting weights the very next day; that was something else. He really sets a standard wherever he goes.
On top of that, Campbell is keen to protect Brydon Carse, who’s 29 and has had a standout performance since making his Test debut against Pakistan in October of last year. He took 27 wickets at an impressive average in just five matches. Campbell noted, I think Brydon Carse is probably the most important player for England right now. With the talent he’s shown in Test matches, he’s really suited for that kind of pressure.
Looking ahead, there are 11 Tests scheduled over the summer and winter, and Campbell believes Carse will be a top priority to ensure he’s fit and ready. But when it comes to whether Carse will play for Durham, Campbell gave some caution. I’m not too sure about that yet. We’ve been aware of his foot issues for a while now, and that’s nothing new, but he needs to sort it out properly if he wants to take part in a lot of Test cricket.